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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. EUTHENBEEG. EXTENSION LADDER TRUCK.

No. 524,047. Patented Aug, '.7, 1894.y

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2 `Sheets-Sheet'. 2.

(No Model.)

A. RUTHENBERG. EXTENSION LADDER TRUCK. l No. 524,047. Patented Aug. 7,1894.

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^ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST RUTHENBERG, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR OF ONE- HALF TOJOHN S. GUNSAUL, OF SAME' PLACE.

EXTENSION-LADDER TRUCK. u

sPncIFIcnTIoN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 524,047-, dated August7,1894. Application iiled March 2, 1894. Serial No. 502,137. (Nomod/el.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern.- i

Be it known that I, AUeUs'r RUTHENBERG, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Extension-Ladder 'Trucks; and I do hereby declare thefollowlngto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecltication, and tothe reference-numerals marked thereon. My presentinvention has for its object to improve that class of ladders such forinstance as shown in my prior patent, No. 456,224,

granted July 21, 1891, designed more partic' ularly forthe use of theiire departments, but

of vcourse applicable to other uses, and thev invention consists incertain improvements 1n construction and combinations of parts, all aswill be hereinafter fully describedand the novel features pointed out inthe claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of aladder constructed 1n accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan viewof the rear portion thereof; Fig. 3, a sectional view on the line -x ofFig. 2.

Similar reference numerals in theseveral figures indicate similar parts.

Although the invention is particularly adapted to that class of ladderscarried by a wheeled truck or Vehicle, in the` accompanying drawings Ihave not deemed it necessary to show the whole of said truck, but haveindicated a portion of the frame thereof by 1 and the fifth wheel by 2,as shown in Fig. 1.

The entire ladder and its operating parts are supported upon aturn-table or support 3 resting upon a suitable ring or circular plate 4secured to the frame 1 by bolts 4', Vas shown in dotted lines; saidturn-table 3 being prevented from vertical movement on the ring 4 bymeans of the plate`5 projecting beneath a circular flange, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3, and a number of anti-friction balls 6 are arrangedbetween the turn-table and its support to provide for turning the frameeasily, as will be understood. Mounted upon the turntable 3 is asuitable frame composed of the side pieces 7 bolted to the turn-tableand connected by suitable cross bars or rods, one of which latter, 8,constituting the bearing or support for the ladder. Suitable braces 9are also provid ed serving to strengthen the frame.

The main or lower ladder 10 is 'provided with depending brackets 11pivoted upon the rod or shaft 8, which serves as a pivot on which saidladder is turned, and whichl is arranged preferably over the centerofthe turntable in order to properly distribute the weight of the device,and secured to the lower side of the ladder 10 is a substantially`triangular frame composed of the downward extension composed preferablyof the double bars or plates 12 arranged at the rear and connected tothe extreme end of the ladderand the inclined bracing plates or bars 13extending upward from said bars 12 and connected to suitable brackets 14secured to the lower side of the ladder forward of the pivotal point,forming Ya truss for the ladder. The means for tilting the ladder 10 onits pivots and elevating the forwardly extending portion is also locatedupon the turn-table 3 and consists in the preferred form, of cables orropes 15 connected by means of suitable clevises 16 at one end to thelower end of the bars or plates 12, while the other ends of`said cablesare connected to a drum 17 mounted in suitable bearingsin the sidepieces 7 of the frame. I prefer' to employ four cables for this purposeand to groove thedrum so that when the latter is rotated in thedirection of the arrow Fig. 1, the two inner cables will be wound fromthe center outwardly and the two outer cables from the outside of thedrum inwardly, as I iind that in this way the strain on the drum is moreevenly distributed. On the ends of the drum are provided gears 20,meshing with gears 21, on a shaft 22, which latter is provided with thelarge gears 23 engaged by pinions 24 ona shaft 25 provided withoperating handles 26 which latter are preferably removable, said shaft25 being also provided with ratchetwheels 27 with which kcooperateretaining pawls 28.

It will be understood that when desired to raise the ladder, theoperators standing on the footboards 29 secured to the turntable 3, mayrotate the handles 26, wind up the cables IOO and draw the lower end ofthe ladder down through'the means just described, and the end ofextension 12 on the opposite side of the pivot, elevating the forwardend of the ladder.

The ladder l0 is provided with the usual rungs 30 and at suitableintervals with anti frlction rollers or pulleys""3l upon which the upperextensible section 32 of the ladder rests. This ladder section 32 isalso provided wlth the usual rungs secured by brackets 33, as shown orotherwise and near its lower end, is provided with a cross piece 34 towhich or to the ladderitself areconnected brackets 35 extending over thesides of the ladder l0 and downward beneath it where they are providedwith friction rollers 36 operating on'the under side of said ladder, asshown particularly 1n Flg. l. Also connected to opposite Sides of thecross piece 34 are the ends of a chain 37 passing around chain wheels 38and 39 rctated from shaft 40 through a gear train 41, so that by theoperation of said shaft 40, (which is provided with the movable cranksor handles,) in the direction of the arrow in Fig. l,the ladder 32 willbe extended, suitable ratchet devices being provided for preventing theretrograde movement of the ladder, and 'retaining it in extendedposition, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Suitable truss rods 42 areprovided on the upper side of the main ladder lO for bracing it.

Secured to the lower portions of the sides? of the main supporting frameare tubular sockets45 in which are arranged movable 'rods or bars 46having counterweights 47 at their outer ends adapted to be extended tocounterbalance the Weight of the ladder, as will be understood, and asshown more particularly in my former patent before referred to.

It will be understood from the above that by the use of the cables, theladder can be quickly raised and the movable ladder extended by means ofthe elevating chain and 45 turn-table and engaging circular base, 4, as

shown in Fig. 1.

By the employment of the cables for elevating the ladder instead of thescrews and nuts heretofore employed, I am enabled to raise the laddermuch more rapidly.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with the support, theturntable 'mounted thereon, the frame on the turntable, the windingdrum, the shaft 25 having the handles, gearing connecting said shaft anddrum, all mounted on the frame, and the foot-boards on `opposite sidesof the turntable, of the ladder having the braces l2 and 13, and thecables connecting said braces with the drum, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the support, the

turntable, the frame on the latter, the winding drum having the gears,the shaft 22, gears 2l and 23, shaft 25 having gears 24 and ratchets 26,of the ladder pivoted on the frame having braces l2 and 13, and thecables connecting the drum and said braces, substantially as described.p

3. The combination with the turn-table and its support, the ladderpivoted on the turntable, and means for turning it on its pivots, of theladder sliding on the firstmentioned one having the brackets thereonextending over the pivoted ladder, and the rollers on said brackets, thechain-wheel on the pivoted ladder, and gearingfor operating it, and thechain connected to theslidingladder passing over said chain-Wheel,substantially as described. y

AUGUST RU'II'IENBERG..V Witnesses:

FRED. F. CHURCH, J. S. GRUSAUL.

